First Timothy is one of what are often referred to as the “pastoral epistles.” Meaning the addressed the pastoral need of those they are addressed to. This expression originated in the 18th century. The other two pastoral epistles are 2 Timothy and Titus. First Timothy has been called by some a “leadership manual” for the church.
Author
The opening verse straightforwardly declares that Paul is the author. Historians and Tradition supports that view.
Recipients
As the title suggests, this was the first of two letters sent to Timothy at Ephesus, but Paul intended it for the church as well.
The book of Acts closed with Paul in prison in Rome. The history of the remainder of his life must be put together from glimpses in the New Testament texts and a few statements outside of it. Apparently, he was released from his first Roman imprisonment. He anticipated that (cf. Phil. 1:19, 25, 26; 2:24) and the pastoral epistles show that expectation. He probably sent Timothy to Philippi with the good news as he had promised (Phil. 2:19-23). He went to and perhaps to other churches in the area, like Colossae. Evidently, Timothy joined Paul in Ephesus. As he had predicted to the elders (Acts 20:29, 30), when he returned to Ephesus, Paul found false teaching there. He personally dealt with the leaders of the trouble (1 Tim. 1:18, 19), but anticipated further difficulty (1 Tim. 1:3). When he left for Macedonia, he put Timothy in charge (1 Tim. 1:3). Once in Macedonia, he saw he was going to be delayed so he wrote 1 Timothy, possibly from Philippi in 62 AD. From what is said in 1 Timothy as well as 2 Timothy and Titus, it is evident that some were going to the genealogies of the Old Testament and constructing false fables about themselves based on them (1 Tim. 1:4, 4:7, 6:20). From these fables they taught things like, you must abstain from marriage and from meat. This kind of teaching was a departure from the faith, which was meant to produce godliness (1 Tim. 1:4, 1:19, 6:21) but instead produced strife (1 Tim. 1:4, 6:4, 5).
Message
The subject is the charge to Timothy on conduct at church. The message is church leaders are to refute error and teach truth, which leads to godliness. These Self-appointed Old Testament 'experts' were causing much harm in the church with false teaching based on nothing more than ancient myths, legends, laws, and genealogies (1 Timothy 1:4-7; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 1 Timothy 6:3-5). Some of the teaching was so damaging that Paul tells Timothy the only way to deal with the offenders was to put them out of the church (1 Timothy 1:19-20).
Structure
First Timothy is a letter, but it does not follow the format precisely. For one thing, there is no prayer. For another, the thanksgiving is for what God has done for the author, not for the recipients, as is usually the case.
Greetings and Introduction.
I. 1:1-20 Warning against false teachers
II. 2:1-4:16 Church leadership and teaching
III. 5:1-6:21 Various kinds of people in the church
IV. Conclusion and Benediction
Purpose
The first purpose of 1 Timothy is to encourage Timothy to refute error. Timothy did not need enlightenment concerning error (1 Tim. 1:3). He needed encouragement.
The second purpose of 1 Timothy is to encourage Timothy to teach the truth. Paul never gives the negative without the positive. He wants Timothy to refute error, but also, he wants him to teach the truth (cf. 1 Tim. 4:6, 4:11, 6:2b, 6:20). The truth, in this case, is the doctrine spelled out in 1 Timothy 3:16, which leads to faith, which leads to a pure life and a good conscience, which lead to godliness and love (1 Tim. 1:3-5).
Summary:
Paul wrote to Timothy to charge him to refute error and to teach truth, which leads to godliness. Truth, he teaches produces faith, which results in a pure heart, a clear conscience, godliness, and love.